Neogene Development of the Northern Walker Lane, Western Nevada: An Evolving Transform Plate Boundary

北美板块和太平洋板块之间大约20%的相对运动是沿着一个活动的右旋走滑断层系统进行的，该断层系统从加利福尼亚州南部穿过内华达州西部，进入俄勒冈州南部。这一区域被称为东加州剪切区和沃克巷。其余80%的相对偏移量发生在圣安德烈亚斯断层上。内华达州里诺附近的沃克巷北部研究特别少，但被认为是该地区最年轻的部分，因此很可能是研究大陆内转换开始阶段的最佳区域。这项研究将试图通过应用各种地质和地质年代学技术，初步确定横跨断裂带的右旋偏移量和时间。这一结果不仅对了解板块边界的演化具有重要意义，而且对评价雷诺地区的地震危险性也有相当大的意义。

Approximately 20% of the relative motion between the North American and Pacific plates is accommodated along a system of active right-lateral strike-slip faults which runs from southern California through western Nevada and into southern Oregon. This zone is known as the Eastern California Shear Zone and Walker Lane. The remaining 80% of relative offset occurs along the San Andreas fault. The northern portion of the Walker Lane, near Reno, Nevada, is especially poorly studied but is believed to be the youngest portion of the zone and, thus, may well be the best region within which to study the beginning stages of an intra-continental transform. This study will attempt to determine primarily the timing and amount of right-lateral offset across the fault zone by applying a variety of geologic and geochronologic techniques. The results will have significance for understanding the evolution of plate boundaries but will also be of considerable significance in evaluating the seismic risk for the Reno area.